In Pursuit of Purple
by Usagii-chan
Summary: Approaching his seventeeth birthday, Nagihiko discovers a letter from his father. Inspired by Ikuto's journey to find his own father, Nagihiko decides to do the same. However, what he didn't count on was an angry chibi devil and a hyper-active sweet monster who were slowly tracking his every move... Mainly Rimahiko, with Amuto, Kutau and Yairi.
1. Chapter 1

**I hope you like this new fic I've started! I always wondered about Nagi's dad...  
**

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**In Pursuit of Purple  
**

**Chapter One  
**

"What do you mean, you forgot to get him a present?"

"I didn't have time to buy him one!"

"But it's his birthday! Don't you remember when it was your sixteenth and he went all over town looking for that rare first-edition gag manga?"

"I didn't ask him to..."

OK. So I was wrong. But Amu had no idea how hard I'd tried to get him a present worthy of turning seventeen. I had gone to every shop I could think of to find something suitable for a teenage boy. Except everyone knew Fujisaki Nagihiko was not your typical teenage boy. Unless you counted dressing up as a girl to participate in traditional Japanese dancing as normal.

It was very hard trying to convince the shop staff I was old enough to buy some items. Yes I knew I was barely averaging five foot, but this was surely simply insulting my intelligence. There are only so many times you can bear being told to be careful handling sharp items.

The shop staff were very insistent on bundling up the present I'd _wanted_ (but didn't actually get) for Nagihiko. This was because I soon became sick and tired of waiting while they mummified the craft set in bubble wrap. Yes, because I'm sure the craft knife will _jump _out of the box and seriously maim a vertically challenged sixteen-year-old.

Anyway. I ended up not buying anything, and dragging a despondent Kusukusu back to Amu's house, I had now found myself in this situation.

"I know something you can give him for free!" Amu suddenly brightened up.

"What?" I was unsurprisingly suspicious.

"The knowledge that dear _Ri-ma-ch-an _has a HUGE cru-"

"Don't you dare say it!" I scrambled towards her obnoxiously smiling mouth while she managed to splutter out a weak "-sh...on...him!".

I would never get over telling Amu my innermost feelings in a moment of weakness. A moment of weakness named 'New Extra-Large Celebrations Box! Now With 50% Extra - Free!'.

It seemed to her to be a free pass to blackmail me with when she wanted something. All because she knew, I would NEVER tell him. Not that I was ashamed or anything. It would just mean the end of fanboys doing whatever I wanted if they knew I wasn't 'available'.

"What did you get him then?" I asked Amu irritably. She donned her trademark (highly annoying) smile and handed me a bag which I opened.

I could not stop the sudden burst of laughter that came out. It was so funny I had to sit down - I hadn't laughed this much since Yaya had crashed into a glass door whilst trying to enter a sweet shop last year!

"What's so funny?" she accused.

"Y-Yo-You bought Nagihiko HAIR CURLERS?!" I gasped, beginning to wheeze from all the laughing.

This was Amu's chance to pull a bloated fish face.

"Waaaa-" she yelped. "Oh wait. Wrong bag!"

She snatched the bag back and handed me another, identical one. Inside was a basketball, with golden lines crisscrossing it. It looked quite expensive.

Amu asked earnestly, "D'ya think he'll like it?"

I felt a pang of jealousy. Of course he would. He'd _love _it.

"Who were the hair curlers for?" I inquired, changing the subject.

"Nadeshiko." Amu blushed. "I know I haven't seen her in so many years, or heard from her that much - apart from a few postcards - but I want her to know that I've remembered her birthday. I'm gonna get Nagi to send it to her."

When I was younger, I would've immediately felt jealous of Amu's _other _best friend, Fujisaki Nadeshiko. But now that I knew, and had done for quite a while, that 'Nadeshiko' was actually Nagihiko cross-dressing, I only felt sad. It seemed unfair that Nagihiko was still leading Amu on to believe her best friend was still training to become a professional dancer far away in Europe.

Yet I knew it was up to Nagihiko to tell her the truth; whenever he thought it best. I wouldn't be a part of his lies.

"You better go and get a present!" Amu advised me. "_Unless you wanna tell him that..."_

I cut her off by throwing the bag with Nagihiko's present in it at her. She caught it easily and laughed. Then Ran's curious face peered up from behind her shoulder.

"Ehhhh? Rima likes Nagihiko?" she giggled. My eyebrows went up.

"Amu, please banish your charas to another room; otherwise I will not refrain from strangling them," I said.

"Don't be silly!" Amu smiled as Miki popped up and pulled a face at me. Kusukusu pulled one back.

"I better get Nagihiko a present. See you later Amu," I said goodbye and let myself out.

The truth was: I had a fairly good idea of what I was going to get Nagihiko. Papa and Mama were on the outskirts of divorce and this was a time for me to ask for anything I wanted due to the fact 'they felt guilty for having me in the middle of this mess'. I wasn't bothered; their relationship had always been tumultuous. I had asked Papa for tickets to a basketball tournament I knew was coming up soon, and he had given me two.

I was pretty sure I would give them to Nagihiko for his birthday. He would appreciate the effort.

* * *

We were now in the second year of high school, and it was pretty hard work. Somehow though, I got through, albeit struggling considerably with maths. On the contrary, Nagihiko seemed to breeze past all his exams; no matter what subject!

The charas were still with us, and although we had left our elementary days as Guardians far behind us, we still met up regularly for some sort of high school Guardians-esque order. Easter posed hardly any threat since Ikuto had finally left to find his father and Gozen had been exposed.

Life went on: Amu had gotten over Tadase and now pined after Ikuto, who had spent the last four years in various foreign countries doing various things. Her face would light up whenever she received a phone call from him, and all you would hear is '_Neee, Ikuto!_' and '_shuddup... baka!'_ in her girly tones.

Kukai and Utau had been steadily dating, and slowly developed a reputation as one of the most formidable celebrity couples in Japan; with Utau a world-class singer and Kukai an aspiring footballer, despite their young age. Sometimes they deigned to visit us mere mortals back home, and it was always a joyous occasion.

Kairi was still as intelligent and clueless as ever, showing that no amount of brains could alert him to the fact of Yaya's feelings. She in turn, was trying her best to drop her renowned babyish persona, but to no avail. It only took one sweet shop to break her resolve. It was only in times that required her to be mature or take an upper hand that she unconsciously let her hair down and spoke in first person.

Tadase, in an attempt to get over Amu, had taken to dating several girls, none of which seemed to click with him. His latest fling was Saaya, and we were all betting on how long this particular one would last (Amu: two months, me: two weeks).

And Nagihiko and I? We were still the same. Well, I was anyway, apart from growing about two inches in four years. And still resembling a porcelain doll. At least I still had my fan boys! Nagihiko had grown though - considerably. He was around 5"9 the last time I forced him to be measured as part of what my height complex demanded be done. He had lost the babyish face as well, yet his amber eyes still seemed giant in his face, framed by many, many eyelashes. It didn't mean he looked like a little kid - no, you could tell he was going on seventeen. The long violet hair still remained, despite countless declarations of 'I'm going to cut it off!"; none of which I allowed to be put into action.

I have a soft spot for his hair.

Nagihiko had confided in me yesterday that he had found a letter from his father hidden in his mother's wardrobe. I began by asking, what were you doing in your mother's wardrobe?

He answered that he'd been looking for a kimono that his mother had put away. His cousin wanted him to send it to her for a competition.

I had never really thought about Nagihiko's father. He had barely mentioned him, and I began to realise I'd always been wrapped up in my own parent's problems to ever ask about his family.

"What did the letter say?" I asked him gently.

He took out a white envelope with cursive writing on it - addressed 'To the Fujisaki Household'. It was opened, and he gave it to me. I unfolded a sheet of stiff white paper, scrawled across with the same cursive text. It read,

_To The Fujisaki Madam,_

_I trust you are well. I certainly hope Nagihiko is too. I know you will not have forgiven me for walking out like that. But I want you to know it was a mistake. I assume from your ignoring of my many attempts to contact you that you wish to have nothing more to do with me. But I implore you, please let me at least visit my son. He deserves to have someone in his life that will teach him that there is more to being a Fujisaki than simply dancing. I only walked out because I could not cope. You forced your family's beliefs down my throat, and I only left Nagihiko behind in the knowledge that he would be worse off without a mother.  
_

_You may not agree with me, but deep down you must know that Nagihiko has to be allowed to grow as a normal boy would. To play football, basketball or whatever sport takes his fancy. Not to be forced into dance simply because you desire it. Nagihiko was not born a girl, and if you cannot accept that, it is your own fault, not his. I find the idea of raising your SON as a girl simply ridiculous. I refuse to believe you are so ignorant as to believe he would be better off as a girl. To confuse the poor boy about his gender is cruel and selfish. I wish you luck when you have to explain to him when he is older the reasons why he cannot live as other boys do._

_However, despite my misgivings about his future, I still wish to see my son and be a part of his life. I hope you will not be so heartless as to deny the boy a father, or to raise him with lies as to how I cruelly abandoned him. _

_Please contact me soon as to when I can meet Nagihiko._

_Best wishes,_

_The Master Fujisaki._

I blinked back tears at the end of reading the letter. To think that Nagihiko had spent his whole life thinking that his father was a heartless no-good who had walked out and not given a crap about his son. I couldn't begin to think how this would affect him; but I knew it wouldn't be good.

"Are you OK?" I whispered. He didn't say anything, only bent down and gave me a hug so tight it pulled me off balance so that I was forced to sit in his lap. I blushed, but thankfully his head was pressed in my mass of hair and he didn't seem to notice.

"I need to find him." His voice was gravelly, and determined. I blinked.

"But you can't leave!"

"I have to. He's _my father _Rima," I flinched at his uncharacteristic tone. I understood he wanted to know the truth, but how could he just up and leave in the middle of school?

"Whatever you do, I'm with you." I clutched his hand and smiled gently.

He seemed surprised.

"Thank you, Rima."

I just hoped whatever he chose was the right thing to do. Maybe finding his father would hurt Nagihiko more than he thought. But then, who was I to decide? I meant nothing more than a friend to him anyway.

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**Please give constructive criticism!**


	2. Chapter 2

** Enjoy!**

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**In Pursuit of Purple  
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**Chapter two**

"I can't believe it! Seventeen! That's so old!"

Amu had been ranting on about Nagihiko's birthday for the last _half an hour. _Seriously. She only shut up when I reminded her seventeen wasn't that old compared to Ikuto, who was now the grand old age of twenty one.

Not that that stopped Amu. She was clever in the way she pretended to her over protective father that she was 100% sworn off boys, and yet there she was phoning Ikuto up at every given opportunity. She had become nearly as bad as Utau was when she had had her brother complex.

We were on our way to Nagihiko's house. Amu had spent ages carefully wrapping his present in tasteful gold paper. And then a further ages wrapping 'Nadeshiko's' present equally as carefully. It made me feel bad for her.

"Rima, can't you hurry up! Your stubby little hobbit legs are slowing us down!" Amu whined.

"Yeah, well your incessant ramblings about _dear Iku-kun's _latest travels is slowing my brain down, which in turn slows my legs down!" I bit back resentfully. She giggled in a decidedly Amu-like way.

"We're here!" she sang as we approached Nagihiko's monster-gates. I swear his house was big enough for the entire student population of Seiyo High to live in. Plus teachers.

She pressed the buzzer, and then smoothed out her hair while we waited. And waited. And waited. Then she checked her nails while we waited some more.

It became apparent to me that no one was coming to let us in.

"But Baaya-san is always here," Amu insisted when I told her.

I replied, "Well she obviously isn't now, otherwise she would have let us in. Amu, character change with Ran, and see if you can see if anyone's there."

"Character change? But I'll mess up my hair!"

"Do you want me to strangle you with Tightrope dancer?" I hissed, showing off the evil gleam in my eyes.

This seemed to do the trick.

"Alright, alright... Ran?" she grumbled, and when the pink chara complied with the character change, she muttered something about a waste of hairspray and with a 'Hop, skip, jump!' she was on the roof.

Sheesh.

The older Amu got, the more vain she became. At least _I _didn't have to try hard to be beautiful; I was admired by boys even when I got up in the morning with bedhead. I wonder what Nagihiko saw me as...?

"The screen doors are- WAAAH!" Amu interrupted my thought train with an almighty shriek followed by falling spectacularly off the roof, into some large and painful-sounding bushes and onto her butt, judging by the stream of profanity.

I sighed. I tried to limit my character transforms as I got older, because they tired Kusukusu out more easily. But I could see Amu needed my help. Who was the hobbit with stubby legs now?!

"My heart, unlock."

I did all the usual naked transforming thing and then flew up onto the roof as Clown Drop.

"You OK Amu?" I called, and then gave her a mocking thumbs-up as I saw she was.

"My hair is ruined!" she shrieked.

I decided not to tell her about the large hole in her shirt, directly below her boob. That would teach her for making fun of my limited athletic abilities.

I helped her up with Tightrope dancer, and then changed back to normal with a _pop__!_

The screen doors were open, but I couldn't see anyone in site. Usually Nagihiko's mother was sitting serenely on a tatami mat and admiring the peaceful garden. I felt a feeling of dread go through me as I remembered the letter and Nagihiko's insistence on finding his father. Surely he wouldn't...?

Part of me felt scared about how his mother would react, and the other half was angry that he had no hesitations about leaving me behind for goodness knows how long. I wasn't Amu. I couldn't sit by the phone all day. Not that he knew how I felt anyway. But regardless of that, I still got jealous.

A sudden crash scared me and Amu whipped round like a frightened rabbit. Slowly we advanced towards the screen doors.

Peering inside, I could just make out the back of a tall person with indigo hair. Nagihiko.

Amu stuck her head on top of mine to see what I was looking at and kept knocking the top of my head. I'd never realised how sharp her chin was.

"Do you _mind?_" I whispered.

"Not at all!" she replied in a cheerful whisper. I gritted my teeth.

Kusukusu was being chased by Miki in some sort of game. I tried to grab her but it was no use. I slipped by trying to do so, and brought Amu down on me.

This succeeded in drawing Nagihiko's attention to us. He turned around and approached out of the half-darkness of the room into the dazzling sunlight. It was only then I noticed the brilliantly-black-and-blue bruise that bloomed across his right cheekbone. It looked like someone had copped him a good one. My eyebrows went up. What was going on here?

"Rima? Amu? What are you guys doing here?" His voice sounded strangled.

"It's your birthday, remember?" Amu said with concern, "You asked us to come?

"Yeah, I guess..." Nagihiko was distracted, and he kept looking back into the room.

I frowned again.

"Are you OK?" I asked. He was about to answer when a sharp voice cut through,

"What's going on Nagihiko?" I recognised the voice as Nagihiko's mother. Sure enough, a beautiful woman in a kimono strode into the sunshine, and glared at him. Her eyes, the same shade as Nagihiko's, blazed with ire.

She hadn't seemed to see us. Amu and I used this opportunity to shuffle into a dark space between the screen doors and a cupboard.

"Nothing mother," he mumbled. His hands twisted in the dark material of his trousers. She stood there, her hands swaying on her hips.

"You are not to ask me about your father. Do you understand?" she told him.

"No." His voice was quiet, but quickly rose. "I will ask. And look. Until I... find him." There was a little lilting sob in the end of his words. A desperate urge to reach out to him suddenly overtook me, and my hand began to unconsciously move, but a quick tug from Amu made me regain my senses. I swallowed nervously; I certainly didn't want to be on the receiving end of Nagihiko's mother's anger as well.

"_You will obey me!_" his mother hissed, and she bent to the floor, picking up what looked like a dented metal photo frame. Inside, I could vaguely see, was a picture of Nagihiko's father.

"I refuse to be treated as a girl anymore!" he admonished, "I am Nagihiko Fujisaki, and all I want to do is to be able to play basketball."

"You are a Fujisaki! Born to dance!" she screeched, and it seemed to me that she thought her only chances of carrying on the Fujisaki family tradition were being tossed back into her face.

"All the effort I put into training you... All the lies I had to tell!" With manic eyes she raised the photo frame. Alarm bells began to ring in his.

"That was your decision! Not mine!" he continued.

"_You are still Nadeshiko to me..." _she half-wailed, half-cried, and I shook my head. Poor Amu. I wondered if she had finally realised. Right now though, I was more interested in trying to help Nagihiko.

And I could see it.

His mother loosing her grip on the frame, which would eventually drop and shatter, causing bits of glass to rain on Nagihiko. She had already thrown it at him. That was evident by the bruise.

I half-dove out of the gap, keeping my knees tucked beneath me. Nagihiko's mother lunged forward and caught Nagihiko's hair, and the frame fell. At the same time I tumbled into him, knocking us both to the ground. The frame bounced into the garden, mercifully without breaking.

"Ow." Nagihiko murmured, tears in his eyes from where his mother had yanked his hair. She stood up in shock, her kimono askew, took one look at me and burst into tears.

"Find your pathetic father for all I care!" she exclaimed and hurried from the room, leaving us all in a state of shock. I tactfully decided this wasn't the moment to tell Nagihiko his mother was an absolute nutcase.

He stood up shakily, and grasped my hand when I did the same. His eyes gave me an unspoken thanks, and I smiled lightly. Then I remembered Amu. Shit.

We both turned around, Nagihiko seeming to realise she must have heard his mother's unfortunate confession.

She had stood up, her clothes still rumpled from the earlier fall in the bushes. The hole in her shirt under her boob was now alarmingly big. Her pink her was scraggy, and her eyes furious. She stomped towards us.

"Are you Nadeshiko?" The question was direct.

"Amu... I... it's complicated, but I can-"

"What? 'Explain'? After five years, and you never once deigned to tell me, your _best friend_, the truth? You let me believe Nadeshiko was my best friend, and when she went away, I was so sad. But of course she didn't; and you were probably laughing behind my back the whole time."

"Amu, please-" Nagihiko began desperately, but she cut him off once more.

"Save it. I don't care. You ruined everything." Now she turned to me, "And Rima, I bet you were in on it the whole time. I thought you were _my friend._"

I felt like trying to explain it to her. But I just couldn't. For once in my life, I stood speechless.

Amu tripped forwards like a broken doll and shoved the presents in Nagihiko's hands.

"Happy birthday, _Nadeshiko,_" she sneered and then walked out. Just like that. Out of the room, and out of Nagihiko's house. I could hear her beginning to sob as she left. I knew Nagihiko could hear it too.

The atmosphere was unbelievably tense.

"Nagihiko," I said, my voice cracking on the last syllable.

"Don't," he replied almost inaudibly. His purple eyes were tired and emotionally drained. "There's nothing you can say. Amu hates me, my mother hates me. My only choice is to find my father."

He picked his way slowly through the room and disappeared. It took me several moments to gather myself enough to be able to go after him. He couldn't leave! I thought. Everybody else had, but _he _couldn't leave me!

I ran at the speed of a typical 4"11-er, but it wasn't fast enough to reach him. He had already left the Fujisaki gate swinging open, and I bent down, wheezing, to pick up the envelope the letter his father had written had been in. Of course it wasn't.

I couldn't believe he'd actually gone. And Amu too. Everyone had left me.

Nagihiko: that purple-headed, no-good, cross-dressing _freak_! I tried to convince myself. But it didn't stop the tears from coming. And when they finally began to leak down my cheeks, it was more than I'd ever cried during any of my parent's fights. The last time I'd cried like this was when I had been kidnapped, all those years ago.

I somehow stumbled home, and then slumped, still silently crying on my bed. Mama and Papa weren't home, as usual. Not like they'd be able to help anyway.

It was only then I realised that Kusukusu was nowhere to be seen.

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**Sorry for all the angst! It gets better next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**New chapter!**

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**In Pursuit of Purple  
**

**Chapter three**

I immediately got off my bed and stood upright. Although the tears were still slowly making their way down my cheeks, and the _non-waterproof _mascara I had put on that morning for Nagihiko's birthday was running and probably made me look like a panda, I didn't care. For now, I needed to know where Kusukusu was.

I quickly ran to the other side of the room, to the desk underneath the window. The window was thrown wide open; I had done it in a fit of desperation when I'd got home. Although it was July, I shivered - more from feelings of anxiety and unease than actual coldness._  
_

On the desk, where I always kept it in a little blue box, was Kusukusu's egg. I picked it up gently, but I had to be very careful, as my hands were shaking. It was sealed shut. This was not a good sign. Even when Kusukusu slept it in at night, there was always a little crack open. This looked as if the egg had never been opened.

I held the egg up, but because I was in such a state from the earlier events, the nerves in my hands sent jolts through the muscles in my fingers, causing the egg to fall from my grasp.

And where would it happen to fall?

Oh yes. Right out of the window.

I gasped and immediately ran out of the room, because I couldn't bear to look out of my bedroom window. As I was making my way down the stairs, my phone rang. Momentarily distracted by the melodic tune, I flipped it up.

"H-h-nuh?" My voice came out like a strangled camel. Somehow I hoped it was Amu. Or Nagihiko. I needed someone to help me.

"Rima-tan?! I'm outside, I have Kusukusu's egg!"

I breathed an almighty sigh of relief at Yaya's words. For once her voice was mature sounding. I didn't care what she was doing outside my house, only that she'd caught Kusukusu's egg.

I swung the door open to find Yaya standing on the path, clutching Kusukusu's egg in one hand and her mobile phone in the other. Instead of her usual, cutesy outfits she was simply wearing a flowered t-shirt and denim shorts. Her hair was down in a side plait, meaning I could barely recognise her without the normal ponytails.

"Rima-tan?" she said with concern, "What's going on?"

I didn't even bother to explain anything outside, only dragged her inside and upstairs to my bedroom.

There I explained everything to her, from Nagihiko's birthday to Amu's finding out of Nagihiko actually being Nadeshiko. To my surprise she didn't seem fazed by this; I soon found out she had actually known for a while. Apparently so had everyone else - except for Amu.

I got the distinct feeling Amu thought she was an idiot for being the only one to apparently not 'notice'.

The only reason I'd figured out Nagihiko was actually Nadeshiko was when just me and him were in the Royal Garden around a year ago looking after the young Guardian protegees. He'd left his bag unzipped and when I put his book back in it I noticed a card from someone, and I'd read it without really noticing. It said: **Nagihiko - You need to be Nadeshiko tonight, your auntie is coming and wishes for a performance. **

Well of course it clicked at once. All it took after that was for me to confront him, him to confess and beg me not to tell Amu, and me to give in because he gave me his best puppy dog face. I mean, who could resist such large, amber eyes?

Ahem.

"What do you mean, he packed and left?" Yaya asked in disbelief.

"He just walked out of the gate," I replied quietly, and as I remembered it, I felt the tears once more begin to gather at the corners of my eyes.

"Oh, Rima-tan..." Yaya murmured gently, hugging me against her chest. It was funny; Yaya was always the babyish one, and I was always the Ice Queen... but for once, our roles had been reversed. Yaya had also matured in many aspects, and although she tried hard to keep talking in third person and dressing cutesy, she was slowly slipping out of it. It had grown harder for her too, since she had become curvy and was now officially three inches taller than me.

_Not_ that that was particularly hard.

It was only then that I noticed the effort she'd obviously put in to look nice; artful eyeliner - and she'd even curled her hair. That and Pepe was not currently with her.

"Where's... Pepe?" I managed to sniff.

Yaya looked bashful, "We had a fight. She thought I was dressing up too much, and then shut herself in her egg. I've left her at home."

"Dressing up for who?" I inquired, trying subtly to regain some of my usual composure. I didn't want Yaya to think I was weak, or anything.

"K-kairi." Yaya whispered, then blushed and ducked her head. "Yaya wanted to... to impress him, but it didn't really work..."

I'd noticed that Yaya always reverted back to third person when she became severely embarrassed or upset. I also knew of her intense crush on the dense Kairi, and there was many a time that I wanted to pick up one of those heavy science books he so often read and whack him on the head with it for all the times he'd unknowingly rejected Yaya's advances. It seemed cleverness and awareness to others' feelings did not often go together.

"You better try Kusukusu," Yaya said, the colour fading from her cheeks. He gave me the familiar egg, and I clutched it.

"Kusukusu," I whispered, "Are you there?"

Even if she was, there was no answer. No sign that she had heard me, or was even conscious of my presence. I knew then, with sadness, the one thing we as Guardians had discussed many times. Kusukusu was effectively in 'hibernation'. This happened to a chara when their bearer had just been through an emotional or tumultuous event, and was so overcome the chara simply couldn't function. Whatever was happening in that bearer's life at that moment seemed to be more important than their heart's egg. It often happened as bearers got older, and more and more concerned with adult issues; they simply didn't have enough time to deal with charas any more, and so the charas eventually faded away.

I hoped this wouldn't ahppen to Kusukusu, or that she thought she wasn't important any more just because _someone _had decided to pack their bags and leave. Dammit. This just showed me up to be too concerned with the antics of that stupid, purple-headed freak.

"You know what we need to do now," Yaya continued, "We need to find Amu. That'll be one weight off your mind."

"Ha ha," I couldn't help the empty chuckle that escaped. "Somehow I get the impression she doesn't want to see me."

"Don't be like that!" Yaya shot off the bed with such buoyancy I toppled over onto the sheets. I blinked to find her towering above me with the familiar manic grin she reserved for the appearance of candy. Uh oh.

"What did you have in mind?" I said weakly, finding myself directing the question at her grin. It grew wider.

"We're going to find Amu and you're gonna explain EVERYTHING to her!" I wished it were as simple as Yaya proclaimed. Nevertheless, I decided it wasn't like I had any other plans for what to do next.

Yaya even advised me on what to wear; and I picked out a pleated blue skirt and a white, camisole-like top. It was so hot I had to tie up my hair into a high ponytail to avoid becoming sticky.

I didn't think it would make much difference to Amu whether I turned up on her doorstep wearing a tattered potato sack or not. But Yaya was doing her best, and I appreciated it, so I complied.

* * *

The walk to Amu's seemed to stretch incredibly, even though she only lived half an hour away. The whole time I kept Kusukusu's egg safe in the bag I took everywhere with me. It was light purple with an elephant stitched on one side; Nagihiko's present for my sixteenth birthday.

Yaya came with me, and told me about her plan to 'impress' Kairi. He had thought she wanted help with homework. We both laughed at how stupid boys were - but at least the one she cared about didn't plan on traveling far away.

Soon, I came to Amu's front door.

"Go," Yaya said gently, "And don't even think of knocking and running away!" she continued playfully with an evil glint in her eyes.

I raised my eyebrows and knocked on Amu's door.

No answer.

Usually her sister, Ami, was the first to race to the door. Or Amu's father, to make sure the visitor wasn't a boy.

Then I noticed a small, piece of white paper fluttering under the door knocker. I picked it up gingerly and opened it.

_The Hinamori family has been unexpectedly called away for a couple of weeks. Sorry for any inconvenience, and if you need to get in contact with any of us, please call Tsumugu or Midori by mobile phone._

In disbelief I handed the note to Yaya, who read it but didn't seem to be as shocked as I was.

"That's OK, Rima-tan! We'll ring Amu-chi and find out why she's gone!"

It might have sounded mean, but Yaya's eternally cheerful disposition was beginning to get on my nerves. Couldn't she see that Amu would have rung me to say she was going away if she were still my friend? Or that Nagihiko would have at least made an effort to tell me something, before he too decided to go?

What was it with people just upping and leaving? Did they think their friends wouldn't mind if they just disappeared? Why were Amu and Nagihiko so selfish?

Well, I wasn't gonna cry about it anymore. I decided that, if Amu didn't want to speak to me anymore, that was her own problem. That was what I tried to tell myself anyway.

I was going to concentrate on finding Nagihiko. As if he could leave the Ice Queen without a last, harsh goodbye. I was at least entitled to that.

And Yaya was going to help me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope you like it!**

* * *

**In Pursuit of Purple  
**

**Chapter four**

"Ehhh... Rima-tan?"**  
**

"What?"

"Can Yaya visit the bathroom?"

"No!"

"Ehhh... Why?"

"Because! No! I'm trying to... find a... way to find..." I was fumbling my words now; it was only so long that I could stride around the room before my unfitness caught up. Not that you could really call it striding. In my case, more like _bunny-hopping_.

"Uhhh... Rima? You're not going to find a way to contact Nagi by banning me from moving..." Yaya pointed out hesitantly. I tried hard to glare at her, 'cos I knew she was right.

Suddenly I had an idea. Utau = Ikuto's sister. Ikuto = (maybe) way of contacting Nagihiko. It was a very slim chance mind you, particularly since Ikuto and Nagihiko weren't exactly best buddies. But then again... if Nagihiko had been inspired by Ikuto's journey, maybe he would have contacted him as well for help finding his father. It was the sort of thing that Mr. Common-sense-cross-dresser would think of.

"Yaya!" I barked like a sergeant.

"Yes?"

"When is Utau's next concert?" This was a smart thing to ask, since Yaya was Utau's biggest fan, apart from Ami, Amu's younger sister.

"Tomorrowatsixo'clock!" she promptly gabbled, looking suitably impressed at herself.

"That's when we shall go and ask Utau for Ikuto's number," I explained to her puzzled face.

"Good idea..." she said, "Except: where are we gonna get tickets at such short notice?"

A sly smirk rolled across my face; "That's easy. How could anyone resist such sweet young things, particularly at the door of a gig by one of the world's cutest singers...?"

Yaya smiled too when she saw where I was heading. Haha. Finding Nagihiko maybe wouldn't be so hard now after all.

* * *

Unfortunately, the next day was school.

Nagihiko and Amu's absences had been explained to the class with subject a) ill and subject b) family matters.

Personally, I found it highly unlikely to believe that someone like Nagihiko would get ill so suddenly and leave the school. But then again, maybe I thought this way only because I knew Nagihiko (_and his superhuman immune system_) so well. My classmates just lapped it up, like they did with every piece of crap Nikaidou-sensei told them. That was his greatest gift; and probably the reason why Easter had hired him in the first place. There was no way otherwise that they would, especially considering his ineptitude and general lack of coordination.

At lunchtime, I was a very grumpy bunny.

Usually, Nagihiko came in handy by charming the dinner lady into giving me an extra-large slice of chocolate cake, or whatever dessert was on offer that day.

What?

Just because I look like a porcelain doll doesn't mean I eat like one.

Anyway, the cafeteria lady, her preferred title - although everyone just called her 'that scowling slop-server' - was horrible. Her name was Sakura, which certainly seemed at odds with her looks, attributes and actions. When hearing the name 'Sakura', most people think of a petite, cute and dainty girl, who is always kind and polite; a perfect name for me then.

Ahem.

Sakura was about as far from 'cute' and 'dainty' as one could get. She was a snarky, wobbling mountain of a women, with a wide forehead, deep-set black eyes, and greasy hair shoved under white netting. Her personality was awful, and she hated everyone. It was a wonder the school even employed her, since everyone hated her back. It was probably because she was a brilliant cook. I loved her food, especially her chocolate cake. One slice of that, and you'd be transported to the proverbial food heaven in the sky.

It was a shame though, since she detested me the most. It was probably because I was everything her name suggested she should be - and I'm not being arrogant. Somehow, though, she adored Nagihiko, and would do anything he asked. Which of course included getting me extra cake.

Oh, how I loved that boy sometimes (_sometimes!_).

And now there was no extra cake for poor Rima. In fact, no cake at all, since Sakura seemed to think it was my fault he was gone. She had barely served me without an accusatory glare.

I stomped outside to find Yaya.

Squinting against the glaring July sun, I failed to notice the person approaching me. Rather, I _felt _them approach, ending up with me and the unfortunate person in a tangled heap on the ground. It took a lot of grunted apologies and exclamations of pain from both parties before we were both free to get up and dust ourselves down.

Unsurprisingly, I was not in a good mood now. Not that I had been to begin with; but this hadn't helped matters much. I was all ready to start glaring at the person and accuse them for trying to squash an innocent stomper, when I noticed who it actually was.

A boy I'd seen a couple times round school. He had reddish-brown hair, parted at the front, but in a jagged style at the back. He was quite tall, a couple inches more than Nagihiko, and seemed to be the sort of person who would hang around with Kukai on the school football team. His face was stretched with an unnaturally large grin, and his large brown eyes sparkled.

Uh oh, I thought, here was one of those eternally cheerful people I was really not good with dealing with (except for Yaya).

"Are you alright Mashiro-san?" he said in a surprisingly quiet and mellow tone... almost like Nagihiko. I shuddered.

"I'm fine, thanks," I replied hesitantly, deciding to be lenient for once and not snap at this boy. He seemed nice, polite. I didn't want to upset people just because _I_ was feeling pissed off.

I helped him pick the books he'd been carrying off the ground, and he thanked me with a funny little bow. For the first time in a few days, I chuckled.

"Where are you heading, Mashiro-san?" he inquired, and I told him about finding my friend.

"I'll walk with you a while," he continued, "Since you're going my way."

While we walked, I had a nice, easy chat with him about gag manga. It turned out his favourite mangaka was my favourite too, and he was a big fan of bala-balance. It was such a nice chat that I failed to notice we'd been sauntering around aimlessly for twenty minutes, until Yaya interrupted me, out of breath, informing me she'd been looking for the last half an hour for me.

"I'll leave you now, Mashiro-san, thank you for your company," the boy smiled, and I asked him his name.

He seemed pleased at my asking; "Kirishima Fuyuki, I'm in the same year as you." I felt guilty for not knowing this, although I'd seen him vaguely around school before.

"I'll see you around, Kirishima-san," I smiled daintily at him and he blushed, before scurrying off. I genuinely like Kirishima-san; he reminded me of a less simpering version of Tadase.

"Ehhh, Rima-tan! Who was that? Your boyfriend?" Yaya giggled, like the boy-crazy fifteen year old she was.

"Of course not!" I snapped, albeit gently. I knew she was teasing.

She knew how I felt about Nagihiko.

* * *

"Rima, let me plait your hair!" Yaya was crowing like a five year old. I grumpily allowed her, knowing it was all for the greater good of bribing our way backstage to Utau's concert, where she could give us Ikuto's number.

In revenge, I dotted Yaya's hair with an assortment of bright clips, until her hair looked like a sweet shop for birds had opened up on it. We both dressed in the pinkest and cutest outfits we could find, which wasn't hard in Yaya's wardrobe.

Haha. Operation 'Charm Attack' was underway.

* * *

Standing outside the backstage door, the burly security guard observed us. Or more like, stared right through us.

"Whoer'yoo?" he mumbled.

"We're very big fans of Utau-chan," I simpered, "We've come to give our best wishes. Can we come in?" I also blinked my eyelids at him imploringly for good measure.

"Lemme see," he drawled, "No."

I felt affronted by this bumbling half-wit. How dare he refuse entry to two cute 'little' girls! I tried again for around five minutes, but it still didn't work. Clearly, my charms weren't as good as they once had been, or maybe I was becoming more bitter as the months went by.

"I'll have a go," Yaya whispered to me, and before I could tell her it was no use, she had swaggered up to the security guard. He regarded her with cool amusement.

"Listen up, big guy, if you can get us in there, I'll give you-" The rest was conferred in exaggerated, hushed tones with plenty of head motions from Yaya. The security guard promptly nodded, took the inconspicuous package that Yaya offered him, and let us through without another word.

I looked at Yaya, gobsmacked.

"How on earth did you get him to let us in?"

"Let's just say," she laughed, "I offered him the finest sugared confectionery I had!"

I chuckled alongside her, as we made our way to Utau's changing room.

* * *

Contrary to my belief, she was not surprised to see us. Not that I could ever imagine she would be surprised at anything really.

"Hi Utau. We've come to-"

"Get Ikuto's phone number, I know. It's on the dresser," for the second time, I was interrupted. Now, how on earth did Utau know I wanted Ikuto's number? Was she a mind reader or something?

"I told Kukai, and he told her," whispered Yaya in my ear.

Great. So it was gonna be like 'Let's-play-Chinese-Whispers-and-leave-Rima-out', was it?

I snatched the scrap of paper on said dresser, and then flounced out of the room. Yaya followed behind me, calling a hurried 'bye!' to Utau down the corridor.

"Nee, Rima-tan, why are you so huffy today?" she sang-sung.

"Not." I huffed.

"Are too! What's wrong?"

"What do you think? I'm tired. I've been going on a wild goose chase trying to find a number to call Ikuto to find Nagihiko, who obviously doesn't care about me. Amu couldn't give two hoots either."

Yaya adopted a sympathetic look at my moaning and patted my head affectionately.

"S'alright. Yaya knows it'll work out for you in the end," she looked a little sad at this, and I remembered her own struggle with the ever-dense Kairi.

"Nowlet'sgocallIku-tan!" she garbled, and raced down the street dragging me after her. I felt decidedly better, however. There was nothing like a sugar-hyped pep talk from Yaya to get your spirits up.

* * *

_Ring Ring. Ring Ring._

Yaya and I looked at each other anxiously as the phone rang.

Finally, we heard the _click _that meant someone had picked it up, and what sounded like a soft, "...H-lo?"

I spoke first.

"Is that Ikuto? It's Mashiro Rima, Amu's friend."

There was a short silence.

"Mashiro Rima? The little chibi devil?" Ikuto chuckled.

I scowled into the phone, hoping he could feel it, and Yaya stifled a giggle.

"Yes. Mashiro Rima."

"-And Yuiki Yaya!" Yaya called in.

"Ah yes, I remember you. So, Mashiro Rima, why are you calling me? Is it Amu?" There was a hint of concern underneath his playful tone.

"No. She's fine. I'm calling about Nagihiko."

"Fujisaki Nagihiko?"

"Uh-huh."

"I know him too. Tall, long purple hair. Your boyfriend, right?"

My face became red. I felt mortified.

"Noooo," I quickly changed the subject, "Nagihiko's gone to find his father, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

There was another silence. I was quickly becoming used to them. I wondered if it was as awkward for Amu to talk to Ikuto over phone as it was for me. He hardly said much when you saw him in person, and we had hardly exchanged more than a couple sentences the rare times I'd met him.

"Well, actually I do. Amu gave him my number and he called for advice. I heard from him yesterday."

"Where is he?" I was so eager to know, the words fell out of my mouth in a jumble.

"Tokyo. He wants to go to England. I think Easter is sponsoring him, or something. Listen; I have to go. Call Easter and tell them Ikuto wants to know about Fujisaki Nagihiko. They'll give you more information."

I felt numb. I hardly registered Yaya ending the conversation with Ikuto.

"Nee, thanks. Rima-tan and I are grateful. Tell Amu-chi we say hi!"

"Will do. See ya, Yuiki Yaya, and you too, chibi devil. Hope you find what you're looking for," he added softly, and briefly chuckled at Yaya's 'Bye Iku-tan!' before hanging up.

* * *

How could Nagihiko be going to England? That was so far away! He was so selfish, I thought.

And Easter was sponsoring him? Did this mean he'd gone over to the dark side?

I sure hoped they didn't have cookies...


End file.
